Annual Brighter Together Survey hoping to gather data to help Lethbridge businesses
Nov 19, 2021
Lethbridge, AB…The annual Brighter Together survey will be released today and run through early December. This year’s survey will consist of 16 questions and be conducted by Economic Development Lethbridge (EDL) and the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce. The Brighter Together survey will ask Lethbridge and area businesses to provide feedback about the current health of their business and overall sentiment about doing business in southern Alberta. The survey, launching under the Lethbridge: Brighter Together community brand will be the third consecutive year for the survey. Businesses can find the survey and provide their feedback by visiting www.chooselethbridge.ca or www.lethbridgechamber.com.
“Businesses in our city and region have faced numerous challenges over the past 20 months. The data collected last year showed us that the business community generally felt positive about their overall business health,” says Trevor Lewington, CEO, Economic Development Lethbridge. “This year’s Brighter Together survey will let us know if that sentiment is continuing and give us a better understanding about barriers and challenges facing the business community. The survey is a great tool to help our organization pinpoint specific needs and work towards providing targeted resources for businesses that can best utilize them.”
Some of the results of the 2nd Brighter Together survey, showed that:
• 63% of business owners felt positive about their overall business health,
• The top 3 advantages to doing business in the Lethbridge area were quality of life, diversified local economy and
a collaborative environment.
• The biggest barriers to business in the 2020 Brighter Together survey were qualified workforce, tax environment
and workforce availability.
Some of the resulting work stemming from the previous Brighter Together survey addressed barriers and concerns from local business. These initiatives included:
• The Supply Chain Automaton Pilot Program, helping regional businesses better understand and evaluate
automation options for their business.
• Partnerships with Lethbridge Family Services (LFS) and ACCES to attract and retain skilled international workers
to the region. Work with LFS also began in 2021 on the Shaping Inclusive Societies initiative focused on migration
and creating truly inclusive societies where people can reach their full potential.
• Providing ongoing training around new markets and innovation to help business growth (Emerging Technology,
Marketing, Cyber Security, Human Resources)
• Community Events and Roundtable discussions to better understand the barriers and opportunities businesses
face
• Year end Economic Indicator reports highlighting sectors and trends in the city and region.
• Policy development to highlight areas of interest and opportunity
“Having annual information about the health of our business community is ultra-valuable to organizations within our city and region who want to help,” says, Cyndi Vos, CEO, Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce. “Asking mostly the same
questions each survey allows us to look back at previous years and note any trends or oddities in the data. This year
though we are hoping to hear from businesses individually about a success or win they’ve had over the 12 months by
submitting a Brighter Together business success story.”
Businesses who answer the Brighter Together Success Story question included in the survey will have the opportunity to win a marketing package that will spotlight their business. The marketing package will include the opportunity to attend and participate in the annual Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce State of the City event in January of 2022. The newly added question to this year’s survey will give businesses the opportunity to tell a success story from the previous year and have the opportunity to share their Brighter Together message with the rest of the community. To qualify for the prize package businesses are encouraged to complete the survey by Thursday, December 9th.
Businesses who would like more information about the Brighter Together survey can contact, Mike Prociw, Market
Intelligence Advisor, Economic Development Lethbridge at mike@chooselethbridge.ca
A link to the Brighter Together Survey can be found at:
Lethbridge Brighter Together Survey
For more information, contact:
Mark Neskar
Director, Marketing & Communications
Economic Development Lethbridge
403-393-6376
mark@chooselethbridge.ca